JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
October 2018 is Energy Action Month for the U.S. Air Force and this year’s theme is “Protect the Power.” So if you want to break out into a falsetto version of “I Got the Power,” that would be just the level of enthusiasm we would love to hear.
But what does protect the power mean, how does it relate to base utilities. Specifically, why are military people being targeted? Before we can answer these questions, we need to understand some definitions, where power comes from and why it is important.
When we speak of power, we are talking about electricity provided by the utility company to power base-wide facilities for heating/cooling, lighting, computers, appliances, equipment, tools, etc. These facilities serve the mission of the Air Force and we depend upon utility companies to deliver the majority of this power.
The utility companies are good at what they do and for the most part, deliver consistent and reliable power. Utility companies have the resources, technologies and tools to maintain and repair the systems that generate, transmit and distribute power to the customers.
So since the power companies provide our power, what do we have to do with protecting it? Maybe we need to understand where the power comes from.
I’m sure most people understand the majority of the power is generated at large power plants by either coal, natural gas, nuclear or hydroelectric. There is also renewable power generation from large wind farms and solar power grids.
Of the various power sources, coal and natural gas still provide the majority of the power generated in the United States. Coal and natural gas, however, are finite resources and by economics definition are scare.
In spite of whether or not you believe we have plenty of these resources, the fact is one day these resources will be depleted unless we find alternative sources to produce our power needs. Think of it as a large bowl of water of which you are slowly sipping through a straw. Once the bowl runs dry, there is no more resource.
The Air Force is a very large consumer of power and consequently is very concerned about impacts to its mission from loss of power. The Air Force is aware of the resources it consumes and always looks to be more efficient in how it uses those resources.
Conservation, in general, provides a strategic advantage for the Air Force as it allows the agency to do more with less resources. Think of it like flying farther and faster with less fuel.
So for our perspective, protecting the power includes assurance that power will be available to meet mission needs and assurance there will be enough resources to generate the power. By protecting the power we are trying to make everyone conscience about conserving our resources.
Just think about what you might give up in exchange for your air conditioning, your electronics or even your appliances given the scarcity of the resources.
As we move into another Energy Action Month 2018, we want to create a culture of awareness about power, an understanding of its importance, what it is used for and the resources required to produce it.
We want to teach everyone to be good stewards of natural resources and to make conscience decisions regarding their use. Let’s protect the power because it is important to our mission, our natural resources and our future generations.
For Energy Action Month, 2018, free Energy Expos will be held at three Joint Base San Antonio locations. The first is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 10 at Arnold Hall, building 5506, at 1560 Steward St., JBSA-Lackland. The next is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Fort Sam Houston Community Center, building 1385 on Chaffee Road, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston. The final expo is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Kendrick Club, building 1039 at JBSA-Randolph.
Organizations like the Southwest Research Institute, University of Texas at San Antonio, CPS Energy and many more will be showcasing their "cool" technology.
Come out and learn about the latest in energy conservation and renewable technology, planning and development.